Back in 2002 Alun Michael, Minister for Rural Affairs, decided that the New Forest should become a national park after a year long public inquiry.  | | New Forest ponies |
Speaking of the decision he said, "You can't just leave an area like this as a museum of the landscape. They have to be living places and that means a national park is in the best interest of maintaining something which has been regarded as special for 1,000 years, and doing so in a way which respects the people who live and work there now."
Three years later and the New Forest National Park is finally born.The green area on the above map shows the boundary of the park. It covers an area of 571 sq km and is home to about 34,400 people. It's also inhabited by a huge variety of wildlife including the famous New Forest ponies.
 | | Sunset in the Forest |
National parks are classed as areas of oustanding natural beauty with good opportunities for outdoor recreation. They are considered to need special management to keep them that way. National park status should guarantee protection for the Forest, with its ancient woodland and heaths. However, there is still concern from local residents that the area's new status will bring an increase in tourism which could place additional strain on the land and could boost house prices. Keeping an eye on this and any other issues in the area will be the national park authority which comes into limited force in April 2005 before gaining full power in April 2006. It will be responsible for running the park and overseeing any changes and events happening within the boundaries.
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